JIV-jumping into voicing

[Barbara Richmond]

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MessageGoeff,

I can tell you how it worked for me.  First off, I've never had anyone =
call from the yellow pages who was really interested in anything but a =
price for tuning.  It's word of mouth that spreads the news that's there =
someone out there who knows and does more than just tuning.  I started =
off by mentioning problems that I saw and getting permission to take =
care of them.  I also learned the best way to get folks to understand =
about more than tuning was saying, "You know those old upright pianos =
that sound like tin and whose keys are uneven and some don't even work?  =
Well, that can happen to your piano, too.  That's what happens when =
pianos have only been tuned and other maintenance has been ignored. etc, =
etc."   It was the best thing I ever thought of to get the conversation =
and understanding going about what regulation and voicing are.  We're =
the ones who have to educate our clients. =20

Barbara Richmond, RPT
near Peoria, Illinois
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Geoff Sykes=20
  To: 'Pianotech'=20
  Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 1:49 PM
  Subject: RE: JIV-jumping into voicing


  Forgive me for adding to the rant, but it might be interesting to find =
out just how many (legit) tuners, here in LA, have more than "1 or 2 =
percent" of their customers who want, and are willing to pay for, more =
than a "tune-&-run" visit from a piano tech. I am a relative newbie to =
this profession and so far even the customers I service with decent =
piano's aren't willing to have them serviced more than once every couple =
of years. And anything beyond a basic tuning is just more money than =
they want to spend. I seriously look forward to the day when I have =
finally earned and developed a client base that actually wants this kind =
of service and is willing to pay for it. Not just for the money, but =
because I seriously want to learn and cultivate those skills. If 98% of =
what I have to look forward to from day to day are tune & run bookings, =
because that's what the client wants, then I'm gonna be mighty bored.

  -- Geoff Sykes
  -- Assoc. Los Angeles

  ...with lots still to learn to escape the average.
    -----Original Message-----
    From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] =
On Behalf Of David Andersen
    Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 9:39 AM
    To: Pianotech
    Subject: Re: JIV-jumping into voicing


       That said the goal is for an improved tone even if , in your own =
ears, it's not perfect. People/clients who really have ears to hear will =
except any improvement as a pleasure in the right direction. Truth be =
told there are sooo many lousy sounding pianos in the field because no =
one is asking the questions you are or at least not bothering to stab a =
few needles etc to risk for something possibly great!
       How I wish the bad habit of tune & run to the next tuning could =
be remedied.
       It's not real customer service IMHO.
        I think I just changed the topic. Oh My!
        Dale Erwin



    Great words.  In 25 years of working on pianos in LA, with the last =
10 or so years mostly dedicated to good and expensive grand pianos, the =
number of pianos that had been maintained in any realm beyond tuning =
before I came on them was, and is, miniscule....1 or 2 percent, =
literally.  What a joke.
    And a tragedy, really, for our profession.  All this talk, endless =
talk, about pianos, and service, and how to do this and that with =
pianos, and then the harsh reality:  almost nobody's actually doing it =
in good grand pianos in LA. Why?  Because "tune & run"  is the easy =
money. A no-brainer.  The average guy here charges $100-120.  Do six =
tune-and-runs a day, and you're living large.  Do it five days a week, =
and it's 3 grand a week, and baby's got a new pair o' shoes.=20

    On the other hand, just shoot me now if that's what I have to look =
forward to: average clients, piano after piano in bad mechanical and =
tonal shape, and propagating the paradigm of "I don't give a rat's ass, =
so why should my clients?  Why should I educate them about tone and =
touch when it'll just slow me down, make me work and acquire new skills, =
work new muscles, and (the final nail in the coffin:)
    'anyway, none of my clients care or can hear or feel the =
difference.'"

    What a crock of s**t.  Everybody can hear and feel the difference, =
including, first and foremost, YOU.

    Don't be a sellout.  Learn how t work on pianos past the tuning, and =
quit telling your self destuctive things, like nobody can hear or feel =
the difference....quit being so dang negative.

    End of rant.  Thank you.

    David Andersen 
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